Tigers manager AJ Hinch answers questions before a practice April 7, 2022 at Comerica Park ahead of the April 8 season opener vs. the White Sox. Tigers
The Super Bowl is over, and you know what this means. It is now officially baseball season! Alright, maybe it’s unofficial until pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday, but we’re close. The weather in ol’ Michigan may even take a turn for the better this week. We could use a break, winter.
Let’s talk about A.J. Hinch for a bit before camp gets underway, with the full squad set to follow pitchers and catchers on February 15.
Over the last five seasons, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has been a transformative figure within the organization. His influence runs deep from revamping player development and developing a coherent organizational philosophy, to actually becoming the Tiger de facto spokesman once Al Avila was fired, to operating as one of Chris Ilitch’s main advisors in selecting Scott Harris to take over running the ballclub. His impact in the dugout along with his well regarded coaching staff has only been one element of his impact on the Tigers.
It’s hard to believe, but Hinch has now managed the Tigers for as many years as he managed the Astros. After signing an extension of unknown length back in October, he’s sure to exceed his Astros’ tenure by quite a bit. He was there through the second half of the club’s rebuilding effort, and now he and his coaching staff have taken a team that didn’t look too much better than average on paper to the final game of the ALDS in back-to-back seasons.
We can look back at the Tigers collapse in September with some angst, particularly in Hinch’s inability to turn the ship around where a few key players—looking at you, Riley—were concerned. On the other hand, having essentially three functioning starting pitchers and a mess of a bullpen didn’t help. We have to remember too that he’d led that same team to the second best regular season record in the game from August 1, 2024 through July 31, 2025. That he got them to clear their heads, defeat the Guardians in the Wild Card round, and then go toe-to-toe with a red-hot Mariners club that had a deeper, more dangerou lineup and a significant bullpen advantage, all speaks to his ability to get it done when given the tools, and sometimes even without the tools.
His Astros tenure, and the stain of their sign stealing scandal, will never go away, but Hinch is well on his way to rebuilding his legacy in the game. He combines a scouting and player development background to his major league catching experience, and now has a lot of years running a team to draw from as well. Combined with the drive to win in Detroit and put his managerial career in a new light, and the organization is very lucky to have him running the show, my opinion.
How about you? Maybe you don’t love him. Let’s hear about it. Like any manager there must be a few things about him that drive you nuts. I love Jim Leyland, but I’ve got a long list of Leyland moves that made me crazy as well. Overall though, what is your confidence level in A.J. Hinch as he prepares for his sixth season running the Tigers?
SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 22: Terrance Gore #0 of the Kansas City Royals poses during Photo Day on Thursday, February 22, 2018 at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
“The fans were almost waiting for him and [Jarrod Dyson] whenever someone got on,” Royals president of baseball operations and general manager J.J. Picollo said. “You could just feel the energy in the stadium go up a level because of that. They came into the game, and everybody in the ballpark knew exactly what was about to happen, and nobody could stop them. It was like if the Royals got on base, we were really on second base because of them. It was such a weapon for us. It would energize the team, it would energize the fans. It was pretty cool.”
“There’s stealing a base,” Hosmer added, “and then there’s stealing a base when everyone knows you’re trying to steal the base.”
If he ever got thrown out, he said that day, it wasn’t because somebody bested him.
“I got myself out. You didn’t get me out,” he said, smiling and adding that the only way he could get erased was if he got a bad jump, fell or “might drop my glove, might want to pick it up.”
He’ll always be treasured here for all that helped lead to, of course.
I wrote earlier that he was the ultimate disruptor. I just don’t know if I can adequately describe what that meant. When Gore came into the game as a pinch runner, it was usually in a key situation where his run meant something. His speed and the threat he created meant the opposing pitcher and catcher were immediately knocked off their game. Balks. Wild pitches. Errors. Any mistake was in play just by his presence. It was just kind of hopeless for the opposition because, as Gore would say, if they got him out it was because he made a mistake. Not because they were good enough to catch him. They weren’t. Nobody was.
The Royals haven’t shut the door on adding more players this spring. They are content with their roster at the current moment but will continue to monitor both the free-agent and trade markets.
“You know, just because we are going into spring training doesn’t mean we don’t have the ability to make our team better up until the trade deadline,” Picollo said. “Once the trade deadline comes, that’s when you’re locked in. That’s what you got for the rest of the year. But, between now and then, you know, we might be in a sit-and-read situation. What do we need to do and how can we capitalize?”
Royals: Luinder Avila, RHP The 24-year-old right-hander came up to the Majors for 13 relief appearances last year and thrived in that role with a 1.29 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 14 innings. His primary weapon was an 82-85 mph curveball that generated whiffs on 50 percent of his swings, but his mid-90s fastballs (a four-seamer and a sinker) and the occasional 86-88 mph changeup gave hitters more to consider. The Royals see Avila as a potential starter, but with the rotation a bit too crowded right now, it’ll be interesting to see if they try putting him back in the bullpen to begin the year back in the bigs.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 18: Starting pitcher Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after giving up a home run to Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 18, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
THIS IS A GUEST ROCKPILE BY HC WERNER
While a great many things need to go wrong for a starting pitching staff to rock a historically bad 6.65 ERA for the season, an outsized reason for the 2025 Rockies’ starting pitching woes was their over-reliance on bad four-seam fastballs.
How bad was bad?
Fangraphs has a stat, wFB, which is used to measure how effective fastballs are against hitters. A positive number indicates how many runs above average were prevented, while a negative number demonstrates how many more runs than average were allowed by fastballs. The League average is zero.
Here are the starting staffs with the worst four-seam fastballs in baseball last year:
These numbers mean that, over the course of a full 162-game season, Rockies starters gave up almost a full run more than average every game from just their four-seam fastballs alone.
This is especially wild when you consider the rotation pitched the second fewest innings in baseball, averaging a just over 4.2 innings per start.
Fastballs from Rockies’ starters gave up more than three times more runs above average than the next worse teams.
Too much of a bad thing
The league-wide numbers from 2025 show that the average MLB starter threw a four-seam fastball 47.5% of the time. Colorado starters snuck into the top 10 for usage, hurling four-seamers just over half the time (50.1%).
Not only did Rockies starters have truly gag-inducing results with their four-seam fastballs, they threw them more than league average!
Opposing batters could simply hunt for a heater, and they’d get it more than half of the time. Given the continued reliance on traditional fastball usage in the face of such poor results, it makes sense that league executives described the Rockies’ analytical approach as “in the Stone Ages” and “literally 20 years behind the rest of the league in terms of analytics, infrastructure, everything.”
Luckily, new pitching coach Alon Leichman, coming over from the Miami Marlins, has some experience with diversifying pitch mixes. Marlins starters, with their relatively scant 40.1% four-seam usage, threw the second fewest four-seamers in the league. Additionally in 2025 the Marlins organization began tinkering with using analytics to call pitches from the dugout in both the minor leagues and the majors. If Leichman were willing to embrace analytics to such an extent that he’d break with over a century of tradition and call pitches from the dugout, surely he’d use data to better optimize the Rockies’ pitch mix in 2026.
Additionally, neither wFB or wFB/C are predictive stats: They describe what happened, but they don’t project how effective a fastball might be in the coming season. The Rockies are not necessarily fated to have the worst fastball in the league for the second year in a row, especially if they throw more offspeed pitches to keep opposing batters honest.
Conclusion
With the hiring of Alon Leichman specifically (and the new, Paul DePodesta-led front office hires more generally), the Rockies finally seem to be joining the analytics revolution. We don’t know if Leichman will bring the dugout pitch-calling to the Rockies (he hinted it was possible at Rockies Fest last month), nor if they’ll embrace the so-called “Year of the Pitch Mix” (although the signing of Michael Lorenzen seems promising in this regard), nor if they can help Chase Dollander limit the longball (72% of his homers were off of his flaming four-seamer).
What we do know is that Leichman and the Rockies new front office will use and embrace pitching analytics in ways we’ve never seen with the club. We can only hope that means fewer four-seamers.
What do you think? Will the new direction for the staff allow Rockies starters to right the ship, or will the pain of a 6.00+ ERA continue for another season?
The Rockies’ outfield depth just got deeper with the signing of Conner Capel. Given his .234/.314/.360 line last year with the Atlanta Braves’ AAA affiliate and the apparent lack of a Spring Training invite, Capel seems to be minor league depth for the organization, which already has a glut of outfielders vying for playing time at the big league level.
Patrick Saunders talked with Rockies’ pitchers and pitching coaches about the new ideas floating around this year’s Spring Training. While there’s a big emphasis on expanding pitch arsenals and pounding the strike zone, the general philosophy seems to be experimenting and seeing what sticks. The titular quote comes from team veteran and Denver native Kyle Freeland, who says it’s “extremely refreshing” to see these sorts of “funky, wacky ideas… thrown around in these conversations from the pitching side.”
With the departures of both Michael Toglia and Warming Bernabel earlier in the offseason, it seemed like the team might be in the market for a veteran first baseman. Scott Roche over at Sports Illustrated makes a case for signing Nathaniel Lowe, who split time with Boston and Washington last year. I myself think the club would be better served letting Blaine Crim, Troy Johnston, T.J. Rumfield, and Edouard Julien battle it out in camp.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Anthony Banda #43 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning in game three of the 2025 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Difficult decisions are the cost of doing business for a high-level contender, and once in a while, you may be forced to move on from a player you don’t necessarily wish to; such is the case with Anthony Banda and the Dodgers. After agreeing to a deal to avoid arbitration with the left-hander, the reigning back-to-back champs found themselves in need of a roster space, to which the solution was designating Banda for assignment, allowing for any of the other 29 MLB clubs to pick him up — the Yankees should contemplate doing so.
Before assessing the merits of Banda’s addition, his availability is, if unexpected, somewhat natural given the other lefty options the Dodgers bullpen has available: particularly Jack Dreyer, who represents a higher-upside alternative and still carries minor league options. Amidst the flurry of injuries, shortcomings, and unique circumstances surrounding the Dodgers’ bullpen last postseason, Banda found himself being one of the more utilized relievers by Los Angeles, acquiring a type of experience in key spots that’s difficult to find. Before imploding in the World Series, Banda secured some important outs for the Dodgers on their path to win the NL pennant.
The concerns for Banda ahead of 2026 are rather obvious, for as much as the Dodgers were able to extract the best out of him after bouncing around in the bigs, it didn’t come without its warning signs. Although the zone rate remained the same, Banda saw batters drastically decrease their chase rate against him, ultimately leading to an unsustainably poor 12.7 percent walk rate.
What allowed Banda to be reasonably effective was the combination of an uncanny ability to strand runners and limit batting average on balls in play, two skills that under regular circumstances are likely to regress in 2026. The flip side of it is that we’re looking at a left-hander who has pitched over 100 innings with a 3.14 ERA since joining the Dodgers, clearly able to produce consistently at a solid enough level.
The Yankees currently have two lefties in the bullpen in Tim Hill and Ryan Yarbrough, and while Banda’s acquisition wouldn’t fix the lack of a strikeout specialist, his splits make him an outstanding left-on-left option: left-handed hitters had a .255 SLG against Banda in 2025 and a .496 OPS. Noting Ryan Yarbrough is going to serve a long-relief role, to which his handedness isn’t a primary factor, it’d hardly be considered overkill to add one more established southpaw, particularly to a bullpen that has a nice core but could always use a bit more depth.
Arbitration eligible for the second time, this offseason, Banda, a journeyman reliever, will receive a little over one and a half million, far from a prohibitive figure to the Yankees. His availability on waivers is strictly due to a roster crunch, and if not the Yankees, someone most definitely will pick him up.
Feb 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) celebrates during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Dallas Mavericks are currently in the throes of a season-long seven game losing streak after their 138-125 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. Although that game was certainly an ugly one, Dallas has otherwise been competitive during the skid, giving fans something to enjoy while the wins remain elusive.
Cooper Flagg is surpassing the hype
In the four losses prior to Saturday night, Cooper Flagg put on an offensive show to etch his name in the record books yet again. From January 29th through February 5th, across four losses to the Hornets, Rockets, Celtics and Spurs, Flagg was unstoppable. He dropped a career-high 49 points, followed by 34, 36 and 32-point outings, respectively. The 151 combined points over a four-game span is the first time a rookie has had such a spurt in almost 30 years (Allen Iverson; 1997)!
Flagg’s rebounding totals of 10, 12, 9 and 6, respectively across those four games also put him in the company of Michael Jordan. Flagg is now the first rookie since 1985 to have four-straight games of 30 points and five rebounds.
For the trifecta, Flagg’s four-game stretch gives him a record all his own as well. He is now the youngest player in NBA history to score 30 or more in four-straight games.
With his 32-point performance tonight, Cooper Flagg is now:
▪️ The youngest player in NBA history to record 4 straight 30-pt games.
▪️ The first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1985 to record 4 straight games with 30+ PTS and 5+ REB.
There isn’t much argument at this point that Flagg has exceeded the lofty expectations he entered the league with. His growth is happening in real time before our eyes and any talk about his offensive game being under-developed feels like a very distant memory at this point.
Marvin Bagley enters the Mavs’ record books in his first game
Marvin Bagley joined his fellow Duke University alum in the record-setting action. In his first game as a Maverick following his arrival as part of the Anthony Davis trade, Bagley put on a show. He poured in 16 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal and four blocks off the bench. The box score alone would have been impressive had he been with the team all season, but is more impressive still just days after joining the Mavs roster.
Within his performance Saturday night is a Mavericks franchise record. Eight of Bagley’s 12 rebounds came on the offensive end, breaking Chris Gattling’s nearly 30-year old franchise record of six.
Marvin Bagley III set the Mavericks record for most offensive rebounds in a Dallas debut after garnering 8 offensive boards tonight, per @EliasSports (prev. 6 o-reb, Chris Gatling vs. DEN, 11/1/96)
He finished the game against the Spurs with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. pic.twitter.com/oqO1d6ve0g
Much of Dallas’ trade deadline attention centered around cap relief and avoiding the second apron, and rightfully so. However, the players coming to Dallas still hold plenty of intrigue of their own when it comes to how they may fit going forward. Bagley, a former number 2 pick in the 2018 draft gives the Mavs another capable big. Depending on Daniel Gafford’s status with the team after this season, as well as Dereck Lively’s health going into next year, Bagley may yet have a future in Dallas. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and likely relatively cheap should the Mavs want to keep him around. Somewhat undersized as a center, he can at least play small there and is a capable power forward as demonstrated Saturday. Dallas has the remainder of the season to try out the fit, and perhaps he will want to stick around on a roster that currently features four other former Dukies (Kyrie Irving, Tyus Jones, Flagg and Lively).
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 31: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks to pass the ball as Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks plays defense during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on December 31, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Atlanta Hawks Date: February 8th, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM CST Location: Target Center Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio
February was supposed to be the month where the Timberwolves looked at the Western Conference standings, rubbed their hands together, and said, “Okay, let’s do this.” The schedule softened. The door cracked open just enough to imagine a world where Minnesota grabbed home court in the first round and avoided the most miserable playoff paths.
Instead, the Wolves took that door, doused it in gasoline, and lit a match.
The path to the three seed was sitting there like an unattended briefcase in a spy movie, and rather than quietly picking it up and walking away, the Timberwolves opted to blow it up in public. Four games against Memphis, Toronto, New Orleans, and a depleted Clippers team, four games where Minnesota had the clear talent edge, and they somehow managed to turn it into a case study in apathy. If not for a frantic fourth-quarter comeback in Toronto, we’d be talking about an 0–4 stretch.
What made it worse wasn’t just the losses, it was how they happened. Long stretches of lifeless basketball. Porous defense that felt optional. An offense that oscillated between stagnant isolation and desperate late-clock heaves. And then, right on cue, a brief surge of effort when the deficit became uncomfortable, like someone finally remembering they left the stove on. The Wolves would claw back, tease you into believing, and then promptly step on a rake.
Sunday’s matinee against the Clippers felt like the breaking point. Los Angeles came in stripped down after the trade deadline, no Harden, no Zubac, figuring things out on the fly, and Minnesota responded with one of its flattest efforts of the season. Low energy. Soft defense. No rhythm. No urgency. It was the kind of performance that makes you wonder whether this team believes the regular season is just something to be endured until April.
And now, because the NBA enjoys irony, the Wolves get to run it back on the second night of a back-to-back against the Atlanta Hawks, a team that, like the Clippers, has been actively selling pieces and repositioning itself for the future. On paper, this should be straightforward. Atlanta doesn’t have the personnel to hang with Minnesota if the Wolves play with any sense of purpose. But that’s the catch, isn’t it? If.
The truly maddening part is that this team already knows what winning basketball looks like. We saw it against Oklahoma City. We’ve seen it in flashes all season. The Wolves don’t lack talent. They don’t lack continuity. What they lack, far too often, is consistent effort and focus. And in the Western Conference, that’s how you end up teetering on the play-in line instead of jockeying for position near the top.
If Minnesota had simply handled business against Memphis, New Orleans, and the Clippers, we’d be talking about them sitting comfortably in the three seed, peeking up at San Antonio, and mapping out potential playoff paths. Instead, they’re staring into the mirror and realizing they might be their own worst matchup.
So with that, here are the keys, not because the Wolves need a complicated game plan, but because they need to remember who they’re supposed to be.
#1: Show up and act like you care. Against the Clippers, the Wolves played like a team assuming it could flip a switch whenever it felt like it. That’s a dangerous habit born from last season’s playoff run, where Minnesota survived without home court and convinced itself that seeding doesn’t matter. It does. It matters a lot. The Wolves were fortunate to draw the undersized and roster-thin Lakers as the six seed last season. As things currently stand, a six seed would place them in the uneviable position of climbing Mt. Jokic. If the Wolves sleepwalk through games like this, they’re not just risking a loss, they’re volunteering for the hardest possible playoff road.
#2: Defense, defense, defense. Everything good about this team starts on that end of the floor. When Minnesota defends with aggression, when the perimeter guys stay attached, when rotations are sharp, when Rudy Gobert is allowed to be a deterrent instead of an emergency responder, the Wolves look like a contender. When they come out flat, late on closeouts, and hoping Rudy can clean everything up, the entire structure collapses. Atlanta doesn’t have the firepower to keep up if Minnesota is locked in defensively. But if the Wolves let guards turn corners at will and allow easy kick-out threes, they’ll make another bad team look competent.
#3: Offensive discipline and shot quality. Against the Clippers, the offense devolved into isolation basketball far too often, with Anthony Edwards trying to manufacture something out of thin air. That’s not a criticism of Ant, it’s a sign the system broke down. This roster has shooters. It has capable bigs. It has enough skill to generate good looks without resorting to hero ball. But that only happens when the ball moves, when spacing is respected, and when players trust that the extra pass will be rewarded. High-efficiency offense isn’t complicated, it’s unselfish.
And honestly, that’s it. We don’t need five keys. We don’t need a chalkboard full of Xs and Os. This comes down to pride, effort, and professionalism.
Minnesota has a talent advantage over Atlanta. Even on the second night of a back-to-back, this should be an open-and-shut case if the Wolves take it seriously. If they don’t. if they coast, defend lazily, and assume they can flip the switch late, then we’re staring at a February that turns into a five-alarm fire instead of a course correction.
The opportunity is still there. The February schedule isn’t brutal. The standings are still fluid. Nothing has been lost yet, except time. The question isn’t whether the Wolves can stack wins. It’s whether they actually want to. Because at some point, the league stops giving you chances to figure it out.
The fire is smoldering. Either Minnesota puts it out now, or they let it spread and deal with the consequences in April.
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 08: Gabriel Landeskog #92 of Team Sweden takes part during training on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
Colorado Avalanche own the Winter Olympics with eight proud players set to represent their countries. [Denver Gazette]
Landeskog healthy enough to play at Olympics, named Sweden captain. [NHL]
Crosby named Canadian captain for Olympics with McDavid, Makar tabbed as one of the as alternates. [The Score]
MacKinnon still leading NHL scoring and Hart Trophy voting race for now. [Hockey Buzz]
MacKinnon reaches 700 assists as Avalanche sink Sharks before the break. [TSN]
For Brock Nelson, the Olympics are a family affair. [The Hockey News]
News Around the League
Huberdeau set to have season-ending hip surgery for Flames. [NHL]
Ten important questions about NHL teams and players as we head to the Olympic break. [Sportsnet]
Kings acquire Panarin from Rangers just before NHL’s Olympic trade freeze. [CBC]
Craig Fitzpatrick an Air Force veteran champions blind hockey and authors a new book. [Navy Federal]
As was written just yesterday, the White Sox may not have a seat at the adults’ table when it comes to offseason trades or signings, but GM Chris Getz has been active. The coaching staff was revamped and front office bolstered. And the discount shopping and bottom-feeding that have become trademarks of 2020s Jerry Reinsdorf clubs has continued.
That said, the White Sox made moves in preparation for 2026. The signing of Munetaka Murakami to a “Benintendi” deal was shocking and surprising, and for once in a good way, not bad. A couple of maybe-starters, Anthony Kay and Sean Newcomb, have been brought in. Austin Hays supposedly shores up the outfield, along with another couple of guys (Luisangel Acuña and Everson Pereira) who could be legit starters … or Charlotte regulars.
And there have been subtractions as well, most notably the trade of Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets. The coaching staff, including vaunted pitching coach Ethan Katz, got pink-slipped.
What about this offseason’s moves gives you the most flop sweat for 2026?
Feb 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
After OKC’s Shai-Gilegous Alexander sustained an abdominal strain, which will sideline him till after the All-Star break, it was said that there would need to be a replacement. Early Sunday, it was revealed that NBA commissioner Adam Silver selected Rockets center Alperen Sengun to be SGA’s replacement. It is important to note that this year the NBA is using a new format. This season, there will be three teams competing in the 75th NBA All-Star Game, in a novel round-robin format: two teams of American players (USA Stars and USA Stripes) and one international team, Team World. Four 12-minute games will be played between the teams. The event will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, February 15, so it was crucial that SGA’s replacement would be an international player since SGA is from Canada.
Last week, Silver also named Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers to the All-Star team as an injury replacement because in order to guarantee that each side would have the necessary minimum of eight players, Leonard was required to bring the overall number of U.S. All-Stars for the new U.S. vs. World format to the required 16.
Şengün is making his second consecutive appearance on the All-Star team. Throughout the season, the 23-year-old has averaged 20.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. Along with Nikola Jokić of the Nuggets and Jalen Johnson of the Hawks, Sengun is one of three players who have averaged at least 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists this season. Additionally, both players were chosen to play in the All-Star Game.
Şengün will play alongside Kevin Durant, a forward for the Rockets. The Rockets are one of the clubs with several All-Stars, along with the Pistons, Lakers, Knicks, and Nuggets. Durant will be a member of the USA Stripes. In his debut season with the Rockets, Durant has averaged 25.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. 32-19 is the Rockets’ record.
Houston will play its second-to-last game before the All-Star break at home on Tuesday at 7:00 versus the Clippers. As always, be sure to check out The DreamShake for pre- and post-game coverage.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 14: Nolan McLean #26 of the New York Mets pitches to the Texas Rangers at Citi Field on September 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Benjamin B. Braun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.
Which pitcher will lead the Mets in strikeouts in 2026?
VAR’s application has been a divisive topic everywhere it has been introduced. It was more of the same in Serie A
You might not be shocked to learn that Daniele De Rossi thinks football has gone soft. Since retiring and moving into management, the man with the “beware the sliding tackle” tattoo has acknowledged he sometimes misses getting to stick the boot in. But would the stick figure seen flying into an opponent on the back of his right calf even stand a chance in this era of VAR?
“I don’t know what to say any more,” lamented De Rossi after his Genoa team lost 3-2 to Napoli on Saturday. “The football we played no longer exists. We were naïve, but it seems I don’t know anything. I don’t know what sport I am coaching.”
Let’s turn the page. Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone and we’re under 48 hours from pitchers and catchers reporting to Clearwater.
The Phillies have answered most regular-season questions the past two years. Their underwhelming performances in October, though, are the reason the spotlight is brighter heading into camp.
How soon can Wheeler affect the rotation?
The Phillies’ rotation hasn’t been a concern in what feels like years, but the uncertainty around this staff starts with Zack Wheeler’s health. The 35-year-old has begun throwing from 90 feet and is on track within his recovery timeline, but there’s still no real feel for when exactly he’ll toe the slab in 2026.
Manager Rob Thomson told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Spencer McKercher that Wheeler will be eager to push to get on the mound as soon as possible because he wants to achieve his goals this season. If Wheeler is able to return after just the first month of the season, it will be interesting to see whether the Phillies dig into their organization for starting pitching depth or look to sign a one-year flier such as Walker Buehler.
Two seasons ago, on Super Bowl Sunday, they signed right-handed starter Spencer Turnbull to a one-year, $2 million deal, which proved crucial when Taijuan Walker was shut down with a shoulder injury in late March. Wheeler’s timeline could dictate whether Dave Dombrowski stands pat or not.
Can Crawford handle center field defense right away?
We know he has the speed, but playing big-league center field could prove to be a challenge for the 22-year-old rookie. Over the past three seasons, the Phillies have gotten strong production defensively from their center fielders. Since 2023, they rank seventh in the Majors in defensive runs saved (18), ninth in defensive runs above average with a positional adjustment (22.1) and 10th in outs above average (28).
Advanced metrics aren’t as accessible in the Minors, so drawing a firm evaluation on Justin Crawford is tricky. He’s been praised for his instincts and athleticism, traits that strong defensive center fielders tend to carry. The Phillies are putting a lot of trust in Crawford to take over the position, and he’d be one of the youngest players to start there on Opening Day in years. If he were to struggle, the Phillies could turn to Brandon Marsh or Johan Rojas, but that’s far from what the club prefers.
Who hits cleanup and provides pop?
Lineup protection for Bryce Harper was a major offseason talking point, and so was right-handed pop. The club responded by bringing in free-agent outfielder Adolis García on a one-year deal.
The four-hole for the Phillies in 2025 was underwhelming. Cleanup hitters ranked 20th in the Majors in both slugging (.408) and OPS (.720). It was their first season since 2022 where the spot did not drive in 100 runs. Nick Castellanos carried a bulk of those plate appearances and slugged just five homers in 214 plate appearances, posting a .651 OPS.
The Phillies are hopeful García can return to his 2022-23 form in Texas, when he was one of the game’s most feared power hitters, and slide into that cleanup spot. A cold spring could push the Phillies to hit Kyle Schwarber fourth, who registered a .955 OPS there in 2025. Pop in the heart of the order could really help the club stay among the best teams in baseball.
Can the Phillies stabilize the bridge to the ninth?
One of the unsung struggles of the 2025 club was middle relief and the bridge to the ninth inning. When the Phillies acquired Jhoan Duran at the deadline, it masked that hole. From innings six through eight last season, Phillies relievers posted a 4.50 ERA, the seventh-highest in baseball, and allowed the fourth-highest opponent slugging (.425).
Signing Brad Keller this offseason should help. He’s a versatile reliever — and a former starter — who can get more than three outs in an outing when needed. Thomson will be able to play matchups with his pair of lefties in Tanner Banks and José Alvarado, plus righty Orion Kerkering, but after a number of 40-man adds to the bullpen, how the group rounds out remains to be seen.
Jonathan Bowlan, Zach McCambley, Zach Pop and Kyle Backhus will be in the mix, and what they look like over a full camp will matter.
Is Painter’s command big-league ready?
The repertoire is there for Andrew Painter. So is the frame at 6-foot-7, 215 pounds. But strike-throwing is a fair concern entering the season. Getting ahead of hitters will be one of the first things to watch because Painter posted an abysmal 48.8 first-pitch strike rate in 2025.
To give the Phillies’ top pitching prospect the benefit of the doubt, he had not thrown a pitch in a Minor League game in two years because of Tommy John surgery, and the Triple-A baseball is physically different than a big-league ball because of its laces, making it more challenging to locate pitches.
Painter’s secondary pitches — most notably his curveball — will help tell the story of whether he can get big-league outs, but fastball command is what opens the door for everything else. With Wheeler’s health uncertain and Ranger Suárez now with the Red Sox, the Phillies are hopeful Painter can become a fixture in the rotation.
How does the Castellanos situation resolve?
At this rate, it seems highly unlikely that the Phillies will find a trade partner for the 33-year-old. Two potential fits were Pittsburgh — which signed designated hitter Marcell Ozuna on Monday — and San Diego — which signed Miguel Andújar to fill that role last week.
A team like the Marlins could make sense, but with the Phillies holding zero leverage in any talks because of Castellanos’ $20 million contract this season, it’s more likely he’s designated for assignment, clears waivers and signs elsewhere.
He could still be a regular player, particularly as a designated hitter, in 2026. It would be surprising to see teams that missed out on middle-of-the-order right-handed bats pass on him at nearly league-minimum salary. One thing is certain: he won’t be in a Phillies uniform.
Montreal Canadiens’ first-round pick at the 2023 draft, David Reinbacher, hasn’t had a lot of luck since being selected fifth overall by the Canadiens. Whether he played in Switzerland or in Canada, the injury bug has chased him around like Will E. Coyote chased the Roadrunner, but unlike the cartoon, the defenseman never escapes.
On January 24, he received a brutal hit against the Calgary Wranglers, left the game and went on to miss the Laval Rocket’s next five games. Given how many games he has already missed in his young career, it was good to see him back in action on Saturday when Pascal Vincent’s men took on the Cleveland Monsters.
In the Rockets’ 4-1 win, Reinbacher registered an assist, took one shot, and finished the game with a plus-two rating. The performance was reassuring, but one fact remains: the Austrian has played only 34 of the Rockets' 47 games this season, and the limited action is certainly not helping his development.
Jacob Fowler was in the net for Laval and stopped 22 of the 23 shots he received, which works out to a .957 save percentage. Since returning to Laval, the netminder has a 7-2-0 record, and it looks like the organization will have a big decision to make when it comes to goaltending this summer. The 21-year-old netminder showed in the 10 games he played with the Canadiens that he can handle himself in the NHL, and given how the season went between the pipes for the Habs, it’s likely that the youngster gets a chance to make the jump next season.
Meanwhile, Adam Engstrom has overtaken Reinbacher in the organizational depth chart, but luckily for the Austrian, the Swede is a left-shot defenseman and not a right-shot like him. However, with Bryce Pickford having an incredible season in the WHL, it looks like he’ll soon have a lot of competition.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 05: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors pressures Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When you zoom out on Week 16 for the Suns, it reads like a week of missed opportunity. The West does not wait for anyone. It chews teams up nightly and dares you to keep pace. You have to handle your own business and hope a few breaks fall your way.
Phoenix started the week as the seventh seed and ended it the same way, but the math is shifting. Houston and the Lakers now sit two games ahead at 32-19. That gap did not have to be there. The door was open. The Suns never fully walked through it.
Coming off that long road trip where they split six games and lost both Devin Booker and Jalen Green along the way, the schedule finally softened. Nine of ten at home. Prime real estate. This team is supposed to feast there. Instead, seven games into that stretch, they are 3-4. Even the lone road game this week turned into an early mess, down 19 before waking up and clawing back to win. Credit for the fight, sure. But it keeps feeling harder than it needs to be.
That is the rhythm of an NBA season. You steal some you should not. You drop some you cannot afford. Eventually, it evens out. The bad from this week is loud. A 14-point fourth-quarter lead evaporated against Golden State. The good matters too. Booker is back. Green is back. Health changes everything.
The season keeps breathing. Up and down. In and out. Same as it ever was. Look at it, learn from it, and carry on.
Week 16 Record: 1-2
@ Portland Trail Blazers, W, 130-125
Possession Differential: -5.7
Turnover Differential: -6
Offensive Rebounding Differential: 0
Tuesday night in Portland started like a trap game and played like one, at least early.
The Suns sleepwalked through a brutal opening quarter and watched the league’s worst three-point shooting team go 13-of-30 from deep. Down 19, things looked cooked. Then Phoenix woke up. They clawed back before halftime, detonated a 34-22 third quarter, and flipped the night on effort and poise.
Ugly start, strong spine, familiar finish.
vs. Golden State Warriors, L, 101-97
Possession Differential: +0.8
Turnover Differential: -3
Offensive Rebounding Differential: -4
It’s three days later, and I’m still pissed about this game.
vs. Philadelphia 76ers, L, 109-103
Possession Differential: +1.7
Turnover Differential: -5
Offensive Rebounding Differential: +1
The Suns got their cavalry back Saturday night. Devin Booker returned. Jalen Green returned. The vibes were there. The shooting was not. Phoenix opened 1-of-13 from deep, finished 11-of-46 overall, and spent the night pump-faking themselves into worse decisions. The offense moved. The looks were clean. The threes refused to fall.
Inside the Possession Game
Weekly Possession Differential: -2.8
Weekly Turnover Differential: -14
Offensive Rebounding Differential: -3
Year-to-Date Over/Under .500: +9
Who doesn’t love trying to figure out this graph, eh?
There’s not a lot to unpack in the possession battle from this past week. On the surface, the Suns did some things well. They won the turnover differential. They were not crushed on the glass the way the noise might suggest. And yet, they still lost the possession game overall.
When I dig into the numbers, nothing really screams at me. Even with that ugly shooting night against Philadelphia baked in, the Suns finished the week at 36.2% from beyond the arc, which sits 14th in the league. That is fine. They were sixth in the NBA with 10.3 steals per game, which tracks with the effort and activity we have come to expect.
The problem shows up in the assists. 23.3 per game. That ranks 25th. And that tells you everything you need to know. The ball did not move with any real pop. Too much standing. Too much dribbling. Too many possessions ending in isolation that never quite got where they needed to go. And on the occasions when the ball did move, the shots did not fall.
Week 16 ended up being strange like that. A week that easily could have been 2-1. Instead, it turned into something messier. Sometimes it is not one stat that betrays you. Sometimes it is the way all of them quietly point in the same direction.
Week 17 Preview
Only two games on the slate this week, both at home. And because the NBA never misses a chance to trip over its own scheduling genius, they come as a back-to-back. This could have been clean. Saturday. Monday. Wednesday. Instead, the league jams Dallas and Oklahoma City together and calls it a plan. So that is what it is, and that is when it is happening.
Dallas is fascinating in a chaotic way. Cooper Flagg has arrived and changed the temperature of the franchise. Everything Nico Harrison built has been stripped down to the studs, outside of keeping Max Christie around. Anthony Davis is gone. Flagg is already a problem. And yet, the wins have not followed. The talent is there. The results are not.
Then comes Oklahoma City. A Thunder team playing without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and wobbling a bit because of it. This feels like an opportunity. A real one. The Suns can make it two wins in four games against this group this season, with one more meeting waiting at the very end. Back to back or not, the opening is there. The question is whether Phoenix takes it.
63% of voters believed Week 16 would be a 2-1 week for Phoenix. The 3% who chose 1-2 were correct. How does it shake out in this short week that has only two games…but they’re back-to-back?
